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Racial Equity and Health Policy

Racism, Discrimination and Health

Racial Disparities in Life Expectancy

All racial and ethnic groups saw increases in life expectancy between 2021 and 2023, driven by the decline in COVID-19 deaths, which disproportionately impacted groups of color during the pandemic.

Even so, persistent disparities remain. Life expectancy is lowest for American Indian & Alaska Native (AIAN) people at 70.1 years, followed by Black people (74), White people (78.4), Hispanic people (81.3) and Asian people (85.2). Data were unavailable for Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander people.

Disappearing Federal Data: Implications for Addressing Health Disparities

State Reported Efforts to Address Health Disparities: A 50 State Review

KFF Survey on Racism, Discrimination and Health: Views on Racism and Trust in Key U.S. Institutions

Changes in Children’s Vaccination Rates by Race and Ethnicity

Survey of Immigrants

KFF-New York Times Survey: Immigrants Report Rising Fear, Negative Economic and Health Impacts, and Changing Political Views During the First Year of President Trump’s Second Term

The 2025 Survey of Immigrants, a partnership between KFF and The New York Times, takes an in-depth look at the experiences of immigrants during the first year of President Trump’s second term, including their worries related to increased immigration enforcement, their health and economic wellbeing, and the political views and preferences of immigrant voters. The survey paints a portrait of families under strain — where fear of detention and economic instability are negatively impacting immigrants’ health and reshaping immigrant families’ daily lives and views of U.S. political parties.

Read the News Release | Explore The New York Times’ Reporting

Immigrants

Many Lawfully Present Immigrants Will Lose Health Coverage Due to the 2025 Tax and Budget Law

This policy watch outlines the groups of lawfully present immigrants that will lose access to federally funded health coverage due to new restrictions on eligibility in the 2025 tax and budget law.
It also highlights the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) estimates of the number of lawfully present immigrants who will become uninsured due to the provisions, as well as estimated federal savings that will result.
CBO estimates that the law’s restrictions on eligibility will result in 1.4 million lawfully present immigrants becoming uninsured and reduce federal spending by $131 billion by 2034.

Related: Key Facts on Health Coverage of Immigrants

States Have Enacted or Proposed a Range of Legislation That Will Affect Immigrants’ Access to State-Funded Health Coverage

Health Issues for Immigrants in Detention Centers

Policy Bars Many Immigrants from a Broad Range of Federal Health and Social Supports

Role of Immigrants in the Hospital Workforce

Interactive Timeline

How History Has Shaped Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: A Timeline of Policies and Events

This interactive timeline explores how history has shaped racial and ethnic health disparities and the lasting effects that persist to this day.

The timeline describes major U.S. federal policies and events since the early 1800s that are linked to present-day health disparities. It also covers policies that impact health coverage and access to care, medicine, and social and economic policies that influence health as well as efforts to tackle inequalities.
the Essentials

  • Disparities in Health and Health Care: 5 Key Questions and Answers

    This brief provides an introduction to what health and health care disparities are, why it is important to address them, what the status of disparities is today, recent federal actions to address disparities, and key issues related to addressing disparities in the future.

  • Timeline: How History Has Shaped Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

    This timeline offers a historical view of significant U.S. federal policies and events spanning the early 1800s to today that have influenced present-day health disparities.

  • Health Policy 101: Chapter on Race, Inequality and Health

    Addressing persistent racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care is important for improving the nation’s health and economic prosperity. KFF explains such disparities and the factors that drive them, examines the actions to address them, and outlines future considerations.

  • Key Data on Health and Health Care by Race and Ethnicity

    Racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care remain a persistent challenge in the United States. An updated KFF resource examines how people of color fare compared to White people across 64 measures of health, health care, and social determinants of health.

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  • Medicaid Efforts to Address Racial Health Disparities

    Issue Brief

    Medicaid programs are a major source of coverage for people of color and a potential mechanism to address racial health disparities. This issue brief provides insight into ways Medicaid can mitigate racial health disparities, how coverage may vary by race and ethnicity, and other Medicaid initiatives states pursuing to address racial disparities in health and health care.

  • Sources of Financing and the Level of Health Spending for Native Americans

    Report

    This study of Native Americans health care funding and expenditures includes the following: An analysis of all sources of financing and the level of total health expenditures by and on behalf of Native Americans, a detailed analysis of the same data for each of the 12 Indian Health Service areas across the country, an estimate…

  • Minority Graduates of U.S. Medical Schools: Trends, 1950-1998

    Other Post

    While significant efforts have been made to increase minority representation in the medical profession, very little information about minority medical school graduates and minority physicians has been available to evaluate progress towards this goal.

  • AIDS… A Crisis Among African-American Youth

    Fact Sheet

    A fact sheet on HIV, how it is transmitted, how to protect yourself against HIV, and information on testing and treatments for HIV. This fact sheet is available as part of a partnership with BET Teen Summit Town Hall specials.

  • Medicaid’s Role for Black Americans

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet examines Medicaid's role for black Americans. It includes data on Medicaid's coverage of black Americans and the program's impact on their access to care, as well as the impacts of the recent recession and the coming expansion of Medicaid under health reform on enrollment in Medicaid among black Americans.

  • Medicaid’s Role for Hispanic Americans

    Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet examines Medicaid's role for Hispanic Americans. It includes data on Medicaid's coverage of Hispanic Americans and the program's impact on their access to care, as well as the impacts of the recent recession and the coming expansion of Medicaid under health reform on enrollment in Medicaid among Hispanic Americans.

  • Black Residents' Views on HIV/AIDS in the District of Columbia

    Poll Finding

    This data note examines public opinion among Washington, D.C.’s black residents about HIV/AIDS through a new analysis of the findings of the May 2011 Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation 2011 Survey of District of Columbia Residents.